Syncona Limited

We have today published our Annual Report 2024, showcasing our people and culture, progress during the year and platform for future growth.   In this year’s report we have highlighted our newly embedded operating model alongside our rebalanced portfolio, which is weighted towards later-stage companies, with increased diversification across developmental stage and modality. We have also set out our Capital Allocation Policy to summarise our evolved approach to the way we manage capital to drive and maximise returns for shareholders over the long term.   Find out more about our progress to date and what to look forward to here: https://lnkd.in/eXgTtpD4   #lifesciences

Today Syncona announced it has committed $42.5 million to a $170 million Series B financing of its portfolio company Beacon Therapeutics. Beacon is focused on both rare and prevalent diseases, including X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), a blinding orphan disease for which there is no available treatment and dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD), a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in people over 60. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/ejgnwyi9 #lifesciences #biotech #genetherapy #ophthalmology

Today Syncona announced it has led a €80 million (£68.4 million) Series B financing in iOnctura, a clinical-stage #oncology company developing innovative therapies for neglected and hard-to-treat cancers. iOnctura represents an opportunity to invest in a clinical-stage company and to take its lead programme, roginolisib, through to late-stage clinical development. This is in line with Syncona’s strategy to focus capital deployment on clinical-stage assets or assets approaching clinical entry. Find out more by watching the video here: https://lnkd.in/ezDwkSPV #lifesciences #biotech #smallmolecules

Syncona is pleased to announce its Annual Results for the 12-month period ending 31 March 2024. In November 2022, Syncona set out 10-year targets to organically grow net assets to £5 billion. Since then, the Syncona team has worked hard to rebalance the portfolio whilst prioritising capital towards the most promising companies and assets to provide a platform for future growth. During the year we have added three exciting and highly innovative new companies to the portfolio, including one at clinical stage, that can further drive medium and long-term growth. Management will be delivering a presentation followed by a question and answer session which begins at 9am this morning. To register for the webcast, and to see the full release, please click the link below. https://lnkd.in/esifpiEy #lifesciences #biotech

Today Syncona announced that Freeline Therapeutics has acquired SwanBio Therapeutics, creating a new company, Spur Therapeutics. This combines two of Syncona’s clinical-stage portfolio companies, representing a significant opportunity to deliver two first-in-class gene therapies and advance a pipeline targeting more prevalent chronic debilitating diseases. The acquisition will provide a broadened clinical pipeline and will strengthen Spur’s central nervous system capabilities to further enable its move into Parkinson’s disease. It will also bring synergies around clinical capabilities and manufacturing know-how, as well as drive cost and operating efficiencies. Read the full release here: https://lnkd.in/eGSwUfvM #genetherapy #biotech

The scientific founders of Resolution Therapeutics presented new data for macrophage cell therapy in end-stage liver disease at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress. New data from the MATCH Phase 2 academic study continued to show excellent safety and efficacy post-treatment with autologous non-engineered macrophages in patients with liver cirrhosis. With a significant reduction in all-cause mortality and a significant increase in transplant-free survival, the data provides clear clinical proof of concept for macrophage cell therapy in this indication. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eEX6y9Nn

Quell Therapeutics is advancing its lead candidate QEL-001 into the efficacy cohort of the LIBERATE Phase 1/2 trial, following positive clinical data from the initial safety cohort of this first-in-human study. Data presented yesterday at the American Transplant Congress showed QEL-001, an autologous engineered CAR-Treg cell therapy, to be safe and well tolerated in three initial liver transplant patients. It is the first time a therapy of this kind has been assessed in humans for supporting successful liver transplantation, and the encouraging data set supports further investigation of this novel approach. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/efCBcE49 #ATC2024Philly #celltherapy 

CEO, Chris Hollowood, spoke on a podcast with Gordon Smith, CFA from Killik & Co about Syncona and recent developments in the biotech landscape.   Chris covers the history of Syncona since its foundation by the Wellcome Trust, its investment approach, as well as providing his views on the impact of #AI in drug discovery.   Listen to the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/ebE5R_nx   #biotech #lifesciences

Iain McGill, CEO of Syncona portfolio company, Quell Therapeutics, speaks to BiotechTV about the company’s growth since 2019.   He covers growing the company to around 150 employees, progressing its lead programme into clinical trials and entering a partnership with AstraZeneca.   #lifesciences #biotech #celltherapy

Managing Partner, Edward Hodgkin, and Associate Partner, Raghd R., recently spoke at a Bio-spark Entrepreneurial Programme fireside chat in Cambridge. The pair shared their insights on how to build a successful biotech venture, from the importance of the foundational science and innovation to developing a forward-thinking strategy. Find out how Syncona is helping to build the next generation of investors here: https://lnkd.in/ep_86vky #lifesciences #biotech #venturecapital